Healing the Bay: Aquarist and activist Jose Bacallao’s fight for the protection of marine life
Jose Bacallao with fellow Heal the Bay aquarist Akino Higa. Photo by BumpSetSurf.com For a guy who spends his days amongst sharks and starfish, Jose Bacallao is pretty good at talking with people. Bacallao serves as senior aquarist and operations manager for Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. The Hermosa resident often finds himself in Palos Verdes, harvesting algae and native aquatic species to provide optimal nutrition for the aquarium’s range of wildlife. He designs the facility’s diverse exhibits and is in charge of animal care. Great passion for animals sometimes manifests as social disconnect — Jane Goodall preferring the company of chimps to humans. But for Bacallao, animals are a way to make the broader environmental goals of Heal the Bay more approachable to the area’s gill-less residents. “I love working with animals because it’s an instant connection with nature,” Bacallao said. “We’re teaching people about nature, local wildlife. And really, we’re exposing them to Heal the Bay, enhancing our message and the work we do.” Bacallao’s work with Heal the Bay has informed and deepened a connection to the Santa Monica Bay forged out of spending his adolescence in the…
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